Friday, January 27, 2012

“Tell me your secret!!” said the text message from a former staff member after I wished her a happy birthday for her daughter. It came after I’d also wished her husband and son a happy birthday in the past few weeks.She knew she must have told me her family member’s birthdays but couldn’t remember how. I reminded her of the “magic form” she’d filled in for me when she first started working for us which told me the important birthdays and anniversaries in her life as well as her favourite flowers, restaurant, chocolate etc.

Most people write down that information on day one of working with us and then, in amongst the wave of other information they get exposed to that day, promptly forget.

Then all I have to do is refer to a trusty little excel spreadsheet once a week that I keep on my desktop and I suddenly look like I have a magic crystal ball (and a fabulous memory).

Thanks to Rick Deluca for the idea and for making me look like a memory superhero.

(And don’t feel like you can only do this for new team members – I had all my staff fill it in as soon as Rick taught me the idea – there’s no time like NOW!)